Propelling apparatus for aircraft



' April 1945- R. H. GODDARD 2,397,998

PROPELLING APPARATUS FOR AIRCRAFT Filed April 15, 1940 5 SheetsSheet 2 9 Y d far 2& J76. ja z f i April 9, 1946. R. H. GODDARD PRCPELLING APPARATUS FOR AIRCRAFT Filed April 15, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Apr. 9, 1945 UNITED s'r TEs PATENT OFFICE PRO PELLING APPARATUS FOR AIRCRAFT Robert H. Goddard, Roswell,'N. Men; Esther C. Goddard, executrix of said Robert H. Goddard, deceased, assignor of one-half to The Daniel and Florence Guggenheim Foundation, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application April 15, 1940, Serial No. 329,710

8 Claims. (Cl. 60- -35.6)

This invention relates to aircraft of the type in which a rocket blastprovides selective propulsion, either by direct rocket operation or by coaction with turbine blades against which the rocket blast may be directed and which blades are associated with an aircraft propeller of the usual type.

This general combination in an aircraft is shown in my prior Patents No. 1,809,271 and No. 1,929,778. In such apparatus, the turbine and propeller provide efficient operation at relatively low speeds, and the direct rocket blast provides efiicient operation at high speeds or .at high altitudes with relatively thin atmosphere.

It is the general object of my present invention to improve the construction shown in my prior patents and to effect more efiicient and economical operation and easier adaptation to varying operative conditions. 1

More specifically, I provide improved and very simple means for compressing atmospheric air to the density required for use in the combustion chamber of the rocket apparatus.

I also provide means for varying the air intake during flight, and I provide improved cooling means for the combustion apparatus.

I have also simplified the devices for shifting the apparatus from propeller operation to'rocket operation and vice-versa, and I have constructed all parts of the apparatus to reduce air-resistance as much as possible.

My invention further relates to arrangements and combinations of parts which will be hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

- A preferred form of the invention is shown in the drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a partial longitudinal section of an aircraft embodying my improved construction;

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view showing the arrangement of blades in the compressor;

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view, taken along the line 3-3 in Fig, 1;

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view, taken through the propeller turbine;

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view, looking in the direction of the arrow 5 in Fig. 1 and showing the arrangement of propeller turbine blades;

Fig. 6 is a partial perspective view, showing the streamlined propeller turbine casing and its supports; I

Fig. 7 is a rear elevation of the propeller and casing;

Fig. 8 is a partial longitudinal section of one of the propeller supports:

Fig. 9 is a detail sectional view, taken along the line 9-9 in Fig. 6;

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of a rocket nozzle;

Fig. 11 is a longitudinal sectional view, showing' cooling devices to be described;

Fig. 12 is a transverse sectional view, taken along the line 'l2--l2 in Fig. 11;

Fig. 13 is a side elevation of means for adjusting the rocket apparatus radially of the aircraft;

Fig. 14 is a sectional view, taken-along the line i l-H in Fig. 1;

Fig. 15 is a partial sectional view, showing fuel feeding mechanism;

Fig. 16 is a partial longitudinal section of the v combustion chamber;

Fig. 17 is a detail perspective view, showing the rear supporting bearing of an air compressor;

Fig. 18 is a detail sectional view, taken along the line l8--I8 in Fig, 17;

Fig. 19 is a plan view of certain vanes associated with the front or air intake portion of the rocket apparatus;

Fig. 20 is a plan viewof a single vane;

Fig. 21 is asectional view of mechanism provided for adjusting the air intake vanes;

Fig. 22 is a side elevation of a sleeve with which the adjusting mechanism coacts;

Figs. 23 and 24 are side elevations of certain parts shown in Fig. 21;

Fig. 251s a longitudinal sectional view of the forward or air-collecting part of the apparatus, to be described; and

Fig. 26 is a transverse sectional view, taken along the line 26-26 in Fig. 25.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1, 3 and 6, my

. improved aircraft comprises amain aircraft body '30 having bearing 3| for a shaft 32 supporting a propeller 33 with blades 34 of the usual aircraft .40

type. Rocket enclosures 31, preferably two in number, are mounted at opposite sides of the aircraft body and. are supported for radial adjustment by telescoping streamlined supporting members and ll (Figs.'1, 3 and 14). The outward position of one of the enclosures 31 is indicated at 31 in Figs. 1 and 6.

The aircraft body 30 is provided with rack bars 44' (Fig. 13) engaged by pinions 45 mounted on the movable telescoping member 40. These pinrate and without binding.

' aser,

coacts with turbine blades associated with the propeller 33 and drives the propeller by turbine action. The construction of the propeller turbine comprises a rim or band .55 of streamlined cross section, supported concentric with the shaft 32 and mounted at the outer ends of the blades 34. Two sets of rotating turbine blades and 52 are mounted on the band 55 and project outward therefrom to coact wtih sets of fixed blades 53. 54 and 55 extending inward from an outer band 55, mounted in fixed position at the rear of the main body 30. I I

The band 55 is supported by streamlined arms 58 (Fig. 6), and the entire turbine construction is enclosed by front and rear streamlined casing members 50 and 5! (Fig. 9)'. These casing members are united with the outer band 55 and collectively form a streamlined structure, except at those portions where the rocket blasts are directed against the turbine blade. The arms 55 also support the casing members 50 and 5| and form partitions therein, except in the portion occupied by the band 55 and the fixed turbine blades.

My improved rocket apparatus comprises a rocket casing C, best shown in Fig. 1 and including an entrance or air-intake portion III, a compressor portion 1|, a combustion chamber I2 and an expansion nozzle 13. The casins'C is provided with a jacket J (Fig. 1) corresponding in section to the section of the rocket apparatus but spaced therefrom for cooling purposes to be described.

The compressor H comprises a streamlined rotated member 15, mounted in bearings (Fig. 1'7) which are secured by hollow fins 'I'I (Figs. 1'? and 18) to the casing C at the opposite ends of the compressor portion 1|. streamlined as shown in Fig. 18 to provide imum resistance to air fiow. The rotated member 15 is provided with four sets of blades 80, BI, 82 and 83, which blades rotate between five sets of fixed blades 54, 85, 85, 81 and 88.- The rotated member 15 is provided with pulleys or sprockets 95 and SI, connected by belts or chains 92 to driving pulleys or sprockets 93 on the propeller shaft 32.

Special provision is made for continuous driving of the compressor member 15, when the rocket apparatus occupies either an inner, outer or intermediate position. For this purp se, guide pulleys 95 (Fig. 3) for the belts or chains 92 are fixed in the movable rocket support 40, and fixed guide pulleys 96 are provided in the aircraft body 30. Additional guide pulleys 98 are movably min- mounted in the body 30 and are pulledyieldingly outward by springs 99. The guide pulleys 93 are thus yieldingly movable from the full line to the dotted line position in Fig. 3, and thus permit the belts or chains to yield but still maintain continuous driving contact with the compressor. member 15, when the rocket apparatus is in any selected position. It will be noted that this takeup mechanism does not call for any reversal of motion in the belts or chains 92, which is a matterof considerable importance in high speed operation.

The compressor portion ll of the casing C is gradually contracted rearward. as shown in F18. 1, and the'outer diameter of the sets of fixed and movable blades is also 'prog'ressively contracted rearward. It will be noted, however, that all of the,movable blades are of substantial radius, and that they are longer and consequent-' .ly travel faster at the front end where the air is under less pressure and of greater bulk.

The cross section and operation of the successive sets of blades in the compressor is best shown in Fig. .2, where the entering air is indicated by the arrow at and theair discharged from the compressor is indicated by the arrow 1). It will be noted that the air enters and leaves the compressor substantially along the line of its longitudinal flow through the rocket apparatus.

The fixed blades 54 deflect the air sidewise without shock, and the moving blades 80 tend to reverse the direction of air flow and deliver the air to the fixed blades 85, where the direction of flow is again reversed. Substantially the same operations are repeated in the succeeding sets of blades, with the last fixed set 83 deflecting the air to approximately axial discharge.

It will be noted that the exit ends of the mov-.

sets of blades are progressively reduced, as indicated in Fig. 1.

The design of the turbine blades is thus such that the blades tend to compress the air and force it rearward, rather than to give it high velocity. The changes in direction of air flow are also designed to utilize the inertia to assist in increasing its density.

Fuel is delivered/to the apparatus in the reduced portion I00 (Fig. 1) between the compressor portion 1| and the combustion chamber I2, at which portion Hill the air is highly heated by adiabatic compression. A spark-plug llll is provided for initial ignition of the mixed air and fuel vapor, and the combustion chamber is expanded rearward to its middle portion to permit initial expansion of the highly heated combustion gases.

. The nozzle 13 is preferably of the shape shown in Fig. 10, with a circular cross section at the intake and with a rectangular cross section at the delivery end. This rectangular cross section delivers the rocket blast more effectively to the turbine blades.

When the rocket apparatus is in the inner position shown in Fig. 1, the rocket blast is directed against the turbine blades and between the bands 55 and 56. The aircraft is then operated very largely by the propeller blades 3 4'and only to a relatively slight extent by the direct rocKet blast. This method of operation is preferred when starting or when operating at relatively slow speed.

As the speed increases, the rocket apparatus may be moved outward so that it partly or wholly clears the propeller turbine structure. The

- streamlined section of the band 56 permits a portlon of the blast to be sent through the turbine the fixed blades 53 deflect the entering air sidewise or in the direction of turbine rotation, the

of the air shown in. Fig. 26.

space between the casing C and the movable blades 52 successively reverse the direction of air flow, and the fixed blades 55 deflect the air to a discharge direction substantially parallel to the rocket axis. This arrangement for directing the flow of the combustion gases is most efiective in utilizing a large part of the kinetic energy of the gases in producing rapid rotation of the propeller. There is little or no compression of the combustion gasesin the rocket blast.

It is desirable to vary the size of the front opening of the-entrance portion of the rocket casing, so that a'varying amount of air may be received in accordance with varying operative conditions. For instance, at higher altitudes and in a thinner atmosphere, more air should enter the rocket apparatus than at lower elevations or where the atmosphere is more dense. On the other hand, an increase in speed without change of atmospheric density would produce an undesired increase in the amount of air delivered to the combustion chamber, if no adjustment were provided. I accordingly provide the special construction shown on sheet 3 of the drawings, by which the front opening of the air entrance portion of the rocket apparatus may be increased or decreased as desired.

The entrance portion 10 of the casing C (Fig.

1). the entrance portion IIO of the jacket J, and

the, entrance portion II2 of the enclosure 31 are each formed of circular overlapping vanes I20, I 2i and I22 (Figs. 25 and 26) respectively. These vanes are each pivoted at their rear ends as indicated at I23 (Figs. 19 and 20). and at their free ends they are secured in assembled relation as A sleeve I30 is secured between-each pair of associated vanes I 2I and I22 and is disposed circumferentially within the outer casing 31.. C01- lars I3I and I32 are mounted in the ends of each sleeve I30.and are provided with right and lefthand threads which respectively receive adjusting screws I33 and I34. The screw I33.is provided with an unthreaded axial recess I35 which permits the screwfl34 to telescope therein, and

, the screw I34 is provided with across-pin I30 slidable in elongated slots I31 in the screw I33.

A sleeve I30 and associated right and left-hand screws are provided for each assembled set of vanes I20, 'I2I and I22 as shown in Fig. 26, and coupling members I40 are provided between the tion 10. when the vanes are expanded, the compressive effect on the air is correspondingly increased.

In order to produce effective circulation of air in the jacket space, I provide circumferential bands I50 and I5I (Figs. 11 and 12) in the space between the casing C and the jacket J. The outer band I50 is of somewhat conical section, as indicated in Fig. .11, and is supported within the Jacket J by radial struts I52 (Fig. 12). The bands III are substantially cylindrical in shape and are supported by circumferential rings I54 having the double concaved section shown in Fig. 11.

As air enters the jacket space in the direction of the arrow 0 in Fig. 11, it passes between the bands I50 and I5I and is directed inward by the conical band I50 so that it whirls about as indicated by the arrows Id in the spaces between the rings I54 and is brought definitely in contact with the casing C of the compressor portion 10 and combustion chamber 12, thus effectively cooling these surfaces.

If the parts I50 to I54 were omitted, the heated air would remain in close contact with the surface of the casing C. This would be particularly true around the combustion chamber 12, where centrifugal force would tend to move the colder and heavier air outward and to retain the lighter heated air in contact with the casing C.

In order to prevent interference with the flow of air and gases in the casing C, the spark-plug IN is preferably mounted in a shield I (Fig. 16) formed between the casing C and the jacket J.

The rear edge I62 (Fig. 1) of the jacket J is preferably curved inward to produce a jet or aspirator effect at the rear end of the jacket and adjacent the rocket blast from the nozzle 13.

The means provided for admission of liquid fuel to the combustion chamber 12 is best shown in Figs. 15, 1'1 and 18. An annular fuel feed pipe I 10 surrounds the casing C at the portion I00,

- and is provided with a. streamlined covering I1I. -A fuel connection I12 from a suitable fuel storage I utilize the hollow struts 11 of the rear bearing adjacent sets. The adjacent ends of the screw I33 of one set and the screw I34 of the next set are loosely connected to one of the coupling members I40 by pins I42 and I43, disposed at right angles therein. The couplings I40 thus form uni- I versal joints between'the ends of adjacent-screws.

One of the couplings I40 may be provided with sprocket teeth I45 engaged by a chain I46 and by which chain the couplings I40 and associated parts may be rotated manually or from any suitable source of power. The associated vanes I20 and I2! are held at aflxe'd distance apart radially by connecting studs I41, so that the cooling Jacket J may remain of constant radial thickness 1 When the couplings and screws are rotated in the collars I3I'and I32 of the sleeves I 30 on the several sets of vanes the associated screws I33 and I34 will be 'telescopicallycontractedor expanded, according to the direction of rotation. Consequently, the"several sets of vanes will be drawn toward each other or pushed apart at their free or entrance ends, thus contracting or expending the bell-shaped mouth of the casing por- 18 of the compressor 15. These hollow struts are connected to the pipe I10 and are provided with additional openings or nozzles I16 in their sidewalls, from whichadditional jets or sprays are delivered as indicated in Fig. 18. Jets of gasoline 'or other liquid fuel areithus effectively distributed through the air stream; so that a very complete and uniform mixture is immediately attained.

Having described the details of construction of my improved apparatus, it is believed that the method ofoperation of the several parts-will be readily apparent. The provision of the positively driven compressor 15 is of particular importance, as it permits eflicient and satisfactory rocket operation when using atmospheric air as an oxidizing agent, and secures the advantage of relatively high compression. The very simple construction for cooling the combustion chamber is also of note, as is also the continuous flow of air and gases through the rocket apparatus.

. Further'advantages are theclear chamber wall, as. well'as the clear throat between. thecombustion chamber and nozzle, and the avoidance of taneously rotate all compressing portion, a

tected by the cooling jacket space. It is also ad-q vantageous that the propeller turbine is operated by gas which has through the relatively long nossie ll.

The peripheral turbine structure and the provision for radial adjustment of the rocket apparatus relative to the peripheral turbine are not claimed herein-but form the subject matter of a divisional application Serial No. 358,593, filed by me September 27, 1940.

Having thus described my invention and the advantages thereof, I do not wish to be limited to the details herein disclosed, otherwise than as set forth in the claims, but what I claim is:

1. In an aircraft, rocket apparatus comprising an elongated rocket casing formed with surfaces of revolution and having successive air-collecting, air-compressing, combustion and nozzle portions disposed on a single axis and with continuous, substantially axial and substantially unof radially separated spaced therefrom, means to provide snow of air through the jacket space, and axially spaced pairs outer and inner annular members mounted in the jacket space. the outer annular member of each pair having an inner surface which is rearwardly contracted inthe direction of normal air flow in said jacket and which coacts with the associated inner annular member to interrupt direct axial air flow through obstructed rearward flow of air and combustion I gases through all parts of said apparatus, a rearwardly elongated cooling jacket embracing said rocket casing and having an annular funnelshaped intake passage surrounding said air-cohlecting portion, and means to c e the effective cross section of the annular take passage by changing the peripheral dimension of said passage at the entrance while maintaining constant the radial spacing of the inner and outer surfaces of said passage.

2. In an aircraft, rocket apparatus having an air entrance. portion comprising a plurality of assembled and circumferentially overlapping vanes pivoted at their rear ends .and forming. a.

substantially funnel-shaped opening, the axes of thepivots passing through the main axis of the rocket apparatus, and adjustingmeans to simultaneously and relatively expand and contract said vanes at their forward ends, said vanes forming a substantially continuous air-collecting surface in all positions of said vanes.

3. The combination in rocket apparatus as set forth in claim. 2, in which the adjusting means comprises nuts non-rotatably mounted on said vanes, an .annular series of pairs of telescoping right and left-hand screws, and-means to simulends of said vanes may be varied.

4. In a rocket apparatus, a rocket casing having an air-compressing portion, an axial-flow entrance of said inv said jacket space and to provide air vorticeslin the successive spaces between said pairs of annular members. each vortex rotating about a circu-mferential line in said jacket space which is in a plane perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the rocket apparatus, and said vortices producing intimate contact of the cooler portions of the air in said jacket space with the inner and heated wall of said space.

6. m an aircraft, rocket apparatus having an an entrance portion comprising a plurality of assembled and circumierentially overlappin inner, middle and outer vanes pivoted at their rear ends, and adjusting means to simultaneously and relatively expand and contract said vanes at their forward ends, said overlapping inner vanes forming an inner air-collecting surface, said middle vanes forming a jacket space for said inner vanes and said outer vanes forming a spaced casing for said middle vanes, said middle and outer vanes having their forward edges substantially in contact and the cross section of the jacket space being maintained substantially proportional to the diameter of the air-collecting surface.

of said screws in said nuts, v'herebythe circumferential spacing of the freeturbo-compressor mounted in hearings in said radially-disposed struts.

5. In a rocket apparatus, a rocket casing having axially successive air-collecting, air-compressing, combustion and nozzle portions, a jacket enclosing said casing and substantially uniformly combustion chamber, a v

air entrance portion comprising a plurality of assembled and circumferentially overlap ing inner, middle and outer vanes pivoted at their rear ends, and adjusting means to simultaneously and relatively expand and) contract said vanes at their forward ends, said overlapping inner vanes forming an inner air-collecting surface, said middle vanes forming a jacket space for said inner vanes and .said outer vanes forming a spaced casing for said middle vanes, said middle and outer vanes having their forward edges substantially in contact and said middle vanes being substantially spaced at all points from said inner vanes and being substantially parallel thereto.

8. In a rocket apparatus, a rocket casing having an air-compressing portion, an axial-flow radially-disposed struts, said spray openings in said contracted portion and in said struts being all flush with the surfaces in which they are located.

ROBERT H. GODDARD.

'7. In an aircraft, rocket apparatus having an 

